We’re conducting interviews to identify the Government’s experiences with open source software. We’re identifying impediments, lessons learned, and recommendations from producers, consumers (government and contractors), and experts on open source software. We’re particularly interested in people who have been through “build vs. buy” decisions, certification and accreditation tasks, have recommendations on how to streamline adoption, or can identify where small investments could be especially helpful. Would you be willing to meet with the HOST team? Or, could you introduce us to someone who could help?

Results will be summarized, without attribution, to develop recommendations on how to eliminate unnecessary impediments. This work is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Homeland Open Security Technology (HOST) project. For more information, see:

We’re particularly interested in people who have been through “build vs. buy” decisions

In regards to this I would like to give you a response I got recently from a woman who makes her living advocating for Open Source:

“Have you ever spoken with anyone at CARB? They have used much open source in their operations – for years now. They also have some resource materials for agencies on line. If Bill Welty is still their CIO he would be greatly helpful, he helped craft some of the OSS language in the last Strategic Plan, before Terri Takai left to the DoD. Go through the CARB web site and look for open source.

Also if you can get ahold of Carolyn Lawson over in the CIO’s office before she leaves in a week (she just took a job

i n Oregon for a new Health Authority here, it’s been published in Gov Tech) she knows where the open source advocates are in Sac. There are many opportunities to reduce cost that don’t have to include GIS or desktop, so take heart and find the soft spots. (emphasis mine) You’ve also got some enthusiasts a bit south of you at NASA Ames, Jay Nath over in San Francisco.”

In regards to IT in general and GIS in specific, if you exclude both the Desktop and the GIS (which includes data servers, web servers, and application servers at an enterprise level), then there are no “soft spots”. In fact, there are no spots left. In fact there are no longer any opportunities as those whose charge it is to advocate are suggesting a fiction; that is, that there is a world outside of the IT infrastructure that we can Open Source ?!?!?!?!?!!

have recommendations on how to streamline adoption,

The only way you are going to have any sort of buy-in is to buy in: that is, buy in with resources rather than hand-waving [ ref. attached irony.jpg ] . In case the irony in this photo is not apparent, let me point it out clearly: One hour after your post, some guy wants to know if somebody is interested in somebody saving the world for democracy for free. No doubt, there will be interested parties; however, we can be confident that the resources brought to bear will be a wee bit short of, say, the LOGIC Project. I am not suggesting that you start throwing tankers full of money at it, but what I am suggesting is that you quit pandering to the fat hogs at the trough (ESRI, Microsoft, Oracle, Halliburton, etc., etc.) and start giving the other guys a chance so that we don’t have a cadre of folks whose job it is to do all the Open Source gladhanding like above or even some of the editors herein, yes ?

Let’s cut to the chase on this one: The same people you are supposedly trying to sell this to are the same people who will ultimately not gain any foreseeable benefit. And forgive me, but please indulge me here: the same people you are supposedly trying to sell this to are the same people who will ultimately not gain any foreseeable benefit.

There, I said it twice, which makes it even more true, yes ? Now doing my own hand-waving: True-blue patriot nerdy dorky technocrat Dilberts really do want to do right by their County, their Society, their Community, etc. But we have reached a time where that really means doing stuff where the existing management structure has no real place; that is, that is very obvious. It is true that we can all do more with less (and that includes less people and less management). So, meanwhile, you are going to Dilbert’s boss and asking him, whether you know it or not, if Dilbert should start making some decisions or at least offer some policy and procedure input of a significant nature. Well, Dilbert’s boss may be a gung-ho red-blooded American, but he sees his future and a bright one as remaining as patently Dilbert’s boss, first and foremost…all other considerations after….

Meanwhile, Dilbert begins to read the writing on the wall and soon discovers that being clever and patriotic (?!), at least what he thought was patriotic can have extreme consequences, especially in the hands of bosses who are green around the edges [ref. Annonymitization….5-09-27.pdf ]

Again, let me make it clear: Your biggest hurdle are the people you think you need to be going to to get answers. But you probably knew that already, right ? So what are you going to do then ?

or can identify where small investments could be especially helpful.

Could you define small investment ? And could you put that definition in reference to scale ?

Would you be willing to meet with the HOST team?

Absolutely. Of course. I would be honored and ecstatic.

Or, could you introduce us to someone who could help?

I can’t emphasize enough how I have been looking for that same someone. Waiting for Superman here….you ?